Promoting your content: now the real work begins

You need to make potential clients aware that it’s there and — even more important — convince them that it’s worth reading.

Yes, writing a piece of content is just the start — now you need to promote it.

Welcome to the world of content promotion.

Promote blog posts in other blog posts

Many brands forget — one of the best places for content promotion is right on your own website. If you briefly mention a topic in one blog post, for example, link to the post where you went deep on the subject. It’s the simplest way to get more traffic to existing blog entries.

Bonus tip: Publish an “in case you missed it” post once a week where you summarize other content you’ve created, or post occasional lists of your most read or most shared posts.

Promote new content on high-traffic pages

Have a new long-form piece of content? Use a prominent CTA on key pages, or implement something like a Hello bar or a pop-up ad to promote it.

(And before you scream at me, yes… Everybody says they hate pop-up ads. But they’re lying — the typical conversion rate on a pop-up is astounding.)

Promote your content on social networks.

The day you publish a new piece of content, plug it on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other social media sites where your prospects gather.

But don’t just put up a link and call it done. Create some short wording that explains why someone would benefit from reading what you’ve shared.

What are they going to get out of it? Tell ‘em.

Consider budgeting for paid content promotion.

A promoted tweet or Facebook ad can get a lot of eyes on your new content fast. You can also look at pay-per-click through AdWords, Reddit ads, or even at promoting your content on a platform like Outbrain.

But to make sure that you aren’t shelling out money to reach people who aren’t real prospects, you need to carefully target. Before you start paying to play, make that you’ve first determined who your target audience is. (No, really.)

Then make sure you’ve taken the time to painstakingly drill down through your targeting options to make sure your ad’s audience is as good a match as possible.

By carefully tweaking, you can increase the chances that only the right people see your ad — keeping the cost of content promotion manageable.

When you’re creating content, think about what people in your target audience would find valuable. Ask yourself what questions they have, and then answer those questions. Writing for “shareability” is like catching lightning in a bottle, but you’ll have a better chance if the content you’re trying to promote is extremely relevant.

Need some ideas for shareable content? Try a list of stats and tips relevant to your readers. Create an infographic or an explainer. Pull together a list of the top 10 free resources your buyers absolutely need to be using.

Your prospects are people, just like the rest of us — and people love looking knowledgeable in front of their peers. Educate them and they’ll take over your content promotion for you.

Go for it: start promoting your content

This isn’t Field of Dreams. There’s no “If you build it, they will come.” Your buyers are going to need a little help to find you.

Make content promotion a regular part of your online activities, however, and you’ll see your audience grow.